The State Security Service issued a statement, claiming that its “ongoing probe” into a plot of “violent overthrow of the government” revealed that the unnamed “organizers of destructive and criminal acts” plan to resort to extreme forms of violence this week, including a “sacrifice of 2-3 people” to disrupt the inauguration of the new president. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, Civil.ge provided an English translation of the full text of the SSS statement.
At the Orbeliani palace, President Salome Zurabishvili awarded journalists covering the protests in Georgia with medals for Civic Dedication. During a briefing, she condemned the ongoing violence in Tbilisi and across Georgia, highlighting mass violations of the Georgian Constitution and international human rights laws. The President also criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party’s legal initiatives, including a proposed law banning the wearing masks for peaceful protesters.
Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili is visiting Hungary, where she has already met with her Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó. During her visit, she received confirmation from her counterpart that Hungary would block any EU initiative to sanction Georgian officials. Zoltán Kovács, the Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations of Hungary, said, citing Foreign Minister Szijjártó, that Hungary will veto EU sanctions aimed at Georgia’s interior minister and police chiefs, describing the proposal as “nonsensical and unjustified.”
Georgian Dream’s single-party parliament approved the 2025 state budget with 88 votes in favor. Key components of the 2025 budget include projections for economic growth of 6%, maintained by a consistent deflator rate of 3% throughout the year and beyond. The average inflation rate is expected to be 1%. The volume of state budget allocations increases by GEL 895.2 million compared to the previous budget presentation and amounts to GEL 27.9 billion (USD 9.9 billion).
Former Georgian Dream cabinet member Giorgi Chkheidze, who served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture during 2016-2018, published a letter saying that halting the EU accession was “national treason.” In an open letter, he also condemned the ruling party’s patron, Bidzina Ivanishvili, for capturing power and making himself the sole authority, undermining democratic institutions and the constitutional order. Chkheidze argues that Ivanishvili has created an authoritarian regime.
Eleven Georgian CSOs have issued a joint statement condemning the widespread arrests, torture, and alarming levels of repression currently taking place in the country. The CSOs said that they are actively assisting detainees by providing access to legal assistance, with all collected data being shared with the diplomatic corps and international human rights organizations.
The Georgian Association of Young Lawyers (GYLA) has released its findings on criminal cases involving peaceful demonstrators arrested during protests from December 6 to 9. According to GYLA, a total of 30 individuals have been arrested under Georgia’s criminal code, but the authorities and police officers responsible for the ill-treatment and excessive use of force against demonstrators have not been prosecuted, despite repeated appeals to the Special Investigation Service (SIS). The GYLA emphasized that “such a lack of accountability makes impunity a practice.”
Anitta Hipper, the Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU issued a statement criticizing the Georgian government’s response to the ongoing pro-EU protests, highlighting severe human rights violations and warning of diplomatic repercussions. The EU deplores “repressive actions” against protesters, media representatives, and opposition leaders, calling for the immediate release of all detained individuals and an end to political persecution.
The Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) monitoring rapporteurs for Georgia, Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) expressed their “deep concern” about the arrests and pre-trial detentions of opposition and activists, as well as the police raids conducted at their houses and offices. The rapporteurs also condemned the police brutality against journalists and peaceful demonstrators, including youth, saying: “There seems to be a sense of impunity for police violence and excessive use of force against protesters and journalists which is unacceptable.”